11/25/2014

Nature of MMO War - 7

Resolution is an act of courage in single instances, and if it becomes a characteristic trait, it is a habit of the mind. But here we do not mean courage in face of bodily danger, but in face of responsibility, therefore to a certain extent against moral danger. This has been often called *courage d'esprit,* on the ground that it springs from the understanding; nevertheless, it is no act of the understanding on that account; it is an act of feeling. Mere intelligence is still not courage, for we often see the cleverest people devoid of resolution. The mind must, therefore, first awaken the feeling of courage, and then be guided and supported by it, because in momentary emergencies the man is swayed more by his feelings than his thoughts.

Players in an MMO must be of the same mindset, the same understanding of events, the same acknowledgement of their responsibilities as a single player and how their role affects an entire group. They must be resolute to complete their task to the utmost of their ability, with the understanding that giving their all, along with every other player can result in fantastic results. On the other hand, simply knowing the strategy, or knowing all the variables but having no will to play to their utmost ability can and most likely will cause the larger group to fail because of their inability to put their intelligence into action.

Welcome to The Art of MMO War

The purpose of this project is to take the writings of classic authors (such as Sun Tzu’s Art of War) and apply universal principles of war to modern Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs or MMOs).

Because these principles are studied by military strategists at length, and apply even today to modern military warfare, it is easy to deduce they can help to guild leaders, guild members, hardcore player versus player enthusiasts, as well as those who delight in playing against the artificial intelligence game designers develop in a player versus environment setting. It also at times includes suggestions to game designers on how to create worlds and mechanics to increase the joy players experience while adventuring.

Look at these writings as an insight towards the games you play, and how you play them. Even the most simple strategy can lead to the greatest triumph.